Thiruvananthapuram: Raising the heat over the Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) payoff controversy, Keralam BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Friday demanded that Chief Minister V D Satheesan publicly address allegations of receiving money from the private mining firm, following claims made by his party a day earlier.

In a Facebook post, Chandrasekhar referenced a leaked diary page allegedly belonging to CMRL, asserting that it raises serious doubts about whether Satheesan was among the recipients of funds, an issue the Chief Minister is duty-bound to answer.
 

Chandrasekhar further alleged that the public understands how funds were routed to Exalogic, a now-defunct IT venture owned by Veena T, daughter of former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, without providing actual services.

“Daylight robbery took place there. A crime was committed. There are culprits behind the robbery. There is no doubt about it,” he stated.

The BJP state chief questioned why the Congress-led UDF administration had not filed an FIR against Vijayan, his daughter Veena, and son-in-law P A Mohammed Riyas based on findings provided by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The ED has alleged that CMRL made illegitimate transfers totaling Rs 2.78 crore to Exalogic under the guise of IT consulting fees.

The critique follows the state government’s decision to assign a preliminary police inquiry via a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Crime Branch rather than immediately registering an FIR or directing a Vigilance investigation. Chandrasekhar questioned whether the Congress-Muslim League government shared the stance of Rahul Gandhi, who had previously demanded Vijayan's imprisonment, saying, “Like a fixed match, an active effort is being made to cover all this up.”

“Why is this happening? That is what the people of Keralam are asking. It is a completely legitimate question,” he added.

The political storm intensified after BJP State Vice President Shone George released a document online purportedly showing payment records to key UDF and LDF politicians, including Satheesan. George argued that local police could not independently investigate senior leadership and demanded a CBI probe. Both UDF and LDF leaders have refuted the allegations of receiving illicit funds.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and former Union Minister V Muraleedharan rejected claims after another document emerged mentioning “Mr Muraleedharan BJP” among alleged payees. Speaking to reporters, Muraleedharan stated he never accepted personal payments and welcomed any investigation, characterising the leak as a ploy to divert attention from major political corruption.

Muraleedharan noted that during his five-year tenure as state president, organisational collections were managed by party cadres and might not have been within his personal knowledge. Addressing the document circulated by George, he clarified, “I have no responsibility whatsoever regarding that document. I will not say anything about its authenticity.”

He further demanded the resignations of Chief Minister V D Satheesan and senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala over the scandal.

PTI